Improvement in low-water detectors



UNITED STATES JOSEPH YATES, OF 'MOTTE HAVEN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOW-WATER DETECTCRS Specification forming part of LettersPatent NO. L16, |73, dated January 31, 1865.

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH YA'rns, of Mott Haven,in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedWater-Level Indicator for Steam-Boilers; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwillenable'others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of my invention,taken in the line a' m, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same;Fig. 3, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved application of a ioa-t tosteam-boilers for the purpose of indicating the height of the watertherein, sounding an alarm when the water is below a certain level, andalso, if necessary or desired, be made the means for putting inoperation a pump to supply the boiler.

The objection to the use of floats in steamboilers to indicate theheight of the water, has been that they are frequently affected by thefoam, so asto be very unreliable; and, further, that the gage-rodattached to the float and passing through a stufng-box or through guidesis so restricted in its free movement by friction as to render theaction of the float very uncertain.

My invention is designed to obviate these diiiiculties; and to this endit consists in isolating the oat from the mass or bulk of water in theboiler, and still have theiloat exposed to the same influences ofbuoyancy and steam-pressure as when in the boiler, whereby the oat isrendered reliable by being placed beyond the action of the foam.

The invention consists, further, in connecting the oat-rod with a leverat the exterior of the boiler in such a manner as to avoid allinaccuracies due from friction, and at the same time form a perfectwater-tight joint where the rods which form a connection between thefloat-rod and lever pass through the casing or box in which the oat-rodis fitted or works.

A represents a casing or box, which may be of rectangular or otherproper form, and having an upright tube, B, at one end of it, which issurmounted by an ellipsoidal chest, C, which contains a Hoa-t, D, towhich a pendent rod, E, is attached, the latter extending down withinthe tube B and resting on one end of a lever, F, within the box A, asshown clearly in Fig. 1. This leverF is provided with knife-edge pivotsa, which rest on suitable bearings, b, in the box A. The float-chest Ccommunicates with the steam-boiler, below the water-level, `by means ofa pipe, c, (shown in red in Fig. 1,) and said chest communicates withthe boiler, above the water-level, by means of a pipe, d, (also shown inred,) the pipe d being at the top and the pipe c at the bottom of chestC. By means of these pipes water and steam from the boiler are admittedto the chest C, the water in the latter being at the same height as itis in the boiler, and the float will be subjected to the saine buoyancyand steam-pressure in C as it would be if it were in the boiler.

The tube B and box A, it will be seen, are filled with water, as thefloat chest, tube, and

vbox all communicate with each other.

On the top of the casing or box A there is a lever, Gr, having itsfulcrum at d', and H H are two rods, the lower ends of which rest on thelever F, at opposite sides of its pivots a, and` at equal distancestherefrom. These rods H pass up through a diaphragm,-I, of indiarubberor other suitable elastic material,which is attached to the under sideof the top of the casing or box A, and forms a partition between theinterior of A and chambers J J, through the tops of which the rods H Hpass. These rods H have screw-threads cut upon them to receive nuts e,two of the latter being on each rod, one above and the other below thediaphragm I. By this means the rods H are a1- lowed to work freely upand down through the top of the box or casing A, and the escape of waterfrom A effectually prevented.

The lever G rests upon the upper ends of the rods H, the latter being atopposite sides of and at equal distances from the fulcrum d. The oat Dis kept in a state of equipoise by an adjustable weight, K, on the leverGr.

From the above description it will be seen that as the iioat D rises andfalls according to the variation of the water-level in the boiler, thelever F will be moved and motion communicated from the lever F to thelever Gr through the medium of the rods H H, the elastic diaphragm Iyielding or giving to admit of' the vertical play or movement of therods, and at the same time serving to prevent any leakage of wateraroun-d the rods where they pass through the top of the chambers J J. Bythis simple means the working of the rods H will not be at allinterfered with by friction, as the rods may pass loosely through thetops of the chambers J J. The two rods H, at opf posite sides'of thefulcra of the levers F G,

are necessary in order to insure an eq uilibrum, the pressure exertedagainst the diaphragm l in or under one chamber J counteracting thepressure exerted against said diaphragm under the other. In Fig. l onepiece of rubber is made to answer for diaphragms for the two chambers JJ but two separate pieces may be used, if desired.

The lever G has a rod, cx, attached vto it, communicating with anyproper indicator, to show the height of the water level in the boiler,and it also has a rod, DX, attached to it, to operate a Whistle or anysuitable alarm when the water descends to a certain level.Apump-operating mechanism may also be connected with lever G, so thatthe boiler may be supplied with water when it becomes too low.

By having the oat D isolated from the mass or bulk of water in theboiler, as shown, it is free from all vibrations and commotions causedby the ebullition of the boiling water in the boiler, and moreespecially from an undue rising or elevation frequently caused by filthyfoam'. By means of the levers, diaphragnis, and rods, arranged as shown,the float is allowed to rise and fall freely with the varying height ofthe water in the boiler without being retarded by friction, which wouldotherwise attend the movements of the rods H H.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- ,Y

1. The combination and arrangement of the float l), the chest C, the rodE, the lever l?, and the rods H H, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The elastic diaphragm or diaphragms I, in connection with the leversF, rods H H, and the lever G, substantially as and for the purposespecified. I.

JOSEPH YATES.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, C. L. TOPLIFF.

